Cracks in the Foundation
by Galpalcj
Summary: With guidance from Cory Mathews, the sensational six have managed to forgive one another for their past mistakes. But as they enter a new world, filled with trials and possibilities, they may find the past is not so easily forgotten; and that their relationships are no stronger than the foundation they were built upon. (Part 2 of 2 of The Forgiveness Project.)
1. Mistakes We Knew We Were Making

**A/N: Hello again, and welcome to Cracks in the Foundation, part two of The Forgiveness Project! I know I said it would be the beginning of this week, not the end. Unfortunately, my muses decided to stub up on the very last scene so it took a little longer than originally planned. I have been looking forward to this part of the series for a long time and am eager to share it with you. In the first half, I was a new writer, laying the groundwork and feeling my way through the process, so thank you for bearing with me. The chapters will be a bit longer in this half (nowhere near my other stories for those of you who read Split Screen) but the story itself will not be nearly as long as the first.**

 **Trigger Warning: There is mention of heart attack and aftermath, but the references are vague and brief.**

Lucas Friar's heart thundered in his chest as he climbed the fire-escape that would lead him to _her._

The way it was beating seemed more akin to how a knight might feel moments before battling the dragon and liberating the princess at the top, or maybe a sinner about to face final judgment. Riley had always seen him as a hero, but he was both; the knight and the sinner. Except in his real-life fairytale it was the princess who had done the saving. She hadn't slayed his demons with a sword or brute force, but with quiet understanding and an unyielding faith he wasn't always sure that he deserved.

The moment he reached the top their eyes met; her soft brown orbs glowing in the evening light. She had been waiting for him by the window, and she must have been nervous judging by the way she tucked her hair behind her ear upon the sight of him. The corners of his mouth tugged upward, unable to keep from smiling in her presence. Her gaze flickered to her feet, her cheeks brightening in hue as she lifted to meet his eyes once more.

"Hi," she greeted timidly, though a gentle smile played on her lips.

The light in his green orbs shone like sunlight coming through the trees as he took her in. Her long dark hair was flowing down in waves, framing her face and falling halfway down her back. Her hands were buried in the back pockets of her black jeans; her red floral blouse bringing out the pink in her lips. For a second or two his gaze lingered there as he contemplated whether they would taste more like berries or plums without the layer of vanilla lip gloss overpowering the natural flavor of her.

"Hey," he responded, swallowing down the lump forming in his throat.

Did she ever have thoughts like this, he wondered? Not about lip gloss flavors or what he might taste like, of course; she already knew the answer to that question. But did she ever have to hold herself back from acting on her own romantic desires?

Her smile grew in both size and radiance as she peered up at him through her lashes. There was something about the way she was looking at him he found unsettling-but in a good way. It stirred him somehow.

"Hi," she repeated, a small, sweet giggle filling the air between them.

Suddenly he was thrown off kilter as she launched herself against him, wrapping her arms around his neck, her fingertips digging into his shoulders. He grinned wider as he returned her embrace, pulling her as close to him as humanly possible; the scent of cranberries tickling his nostrils. It was one of the things that he had come to associate with memories of her over the last few years.

"I missed you," she whispered and even without the inflection or tonality that volume allowed, he could feel how much she meant those words.

He had missed her too. So much! The entire time he was gone all he could think about was this moment when he would see her again.

Awkwardly they disentangled, her returning to her previous position opposite him. Even that little space between them seemed too far after being so close. They stood, simply staring at one another, well, staring and smiling. Another anxious giggle escaped her as she reached for her hair once more and he couldn't help but chuckle in response. He thought back to the blushing girl tugging at the hem of her dress sitting across his lap that first day on the subway. She probably had no idea how she had changed since that day, but standing there watching her, it was easily noticed.

"You look…" he trailed off struggling to find the right word.

He was a fairly articulate teenage boy. They had shared innumerable conversations on a variety of topics. It shouldn't be this difficult to come up with a word that communicated his sentiments.

"Older," she asked apprehensively, taking a seat at the window, her fingers curled over the edge. "I feel older…like everything that's happened lately has aged me somehow."

Lucas sat down next to her; shoulder to shoulder, his hand grazing the side of hers.

"I was going to say breathtaking," he revealed in a slightly teasing tone, and was rewarded for his efforts when she turned to him with the ghost of a smile.

Eager to reassure her he continued.

"And you know, I think that it makes sense that you feel that way. Growing up isn't just about how many years you've been alive. It's the sum of our experiences. Some grow us more than others, and right now you and your family are going through something pretty formative. It's only natural that it would affect you."

Her head gave a slight tilt as she pondered.

"Wow," she breathed with a sigh of relief, "I never really thought about it like that."

She paused, quietly considering something, what Lucas didn't know. Cautiously her hand slid over the surface of his, slipping her fingers between the spaces of his own.

"Lucas…I feel older," she said again, only this time she spoke the word as though it were a key to some great treasure they might unlock. She leaned in closer, waiting for him to understand the implication of her words. "I'm older now…and I think maybe I'm ready," she explained giving his hand a squeeze for emphasis.

His eyes grew round as her meaning began to sink in.

She was ready; for him. For them.

She was ready to be with him.

"I mean, only if you are," she began babbling, "if not, we can just keep being friends, or you know, unofficially dating, or whatever you wanna do. I just thought you'd want to know that things have changed…at least for me they have."

Riley would have kept rambling, but she lost herself in the meadow of his gaze as he leaned close enough she could feel his breath against her lips as she whispered "I'm ready if you are."

Her lids fluttered down as she prepared for the meeting of their lips. Finally, he was going to take her face in his hands and make her his own. She had given him his first kiss the night of their first date and now he intended to return the gesture, by giving her hers. He only hoped that she would cherish this memory as he had that one.

The immensity of the moment washed over him as he gently placed a hand to her face, his fingers splayed from her neck to the hollow of her cheek. He let out a breathless chuckle, his lungs suddenly straining for air. The other hand brushed the hair from her face before taking its place on the other side. All he had to do was lean forward and everything would change.

He'd just closed his eyes, ready to lean in when the bedroom door burst open; his former teacher staring daggers at him as he lunged toward the blonde.

Lucas bolted upright, his mind still in a haze as he struggled to separate fantasy from reality. The first thing to register was the stream of concentrated cold air beating down on him from overhead. The second was the subtle vibration humming from the floor, the chair, the window at his side. He tossed his head back against the rest with a sigh. It was all coming back to him now as he lifted the blinds. Without the aid of a device it was impossible to know how long he had been asleep, but the sky was pitch black, indicating late night or early morning. Over to his left sat his best friend; earbuds in, eyes closed, his bright red neck pillow barely visible in the darkness of the cabin.

He tried to go back to sleep, but his thoughts were restless. It didn't matter if he was awake or sleep, he was haunted by the memory of deep brown eyes and the quiver in her voice that day at the hospital. He'd nearly cancelled his plans that very evening; eager to be near her, to help in any way he possibly could, but Riley had insisted. This was his chance to spend some time with Pappy Joe, and she wouldn't be the reason he didn't go. He had gotten on the plane, and spent his summer making memories with his grandfather and his friends back in Texas, but part of him had never left the city, had left her.

"You awake Zay," he asked, nudging him gently with his shoulder.

The boy next to him mumbled "not again," as he shifted positions in his seat.

"Nope, not awake. In fact, very much asleep," he growled, tossing his head to the other side of his pillow.

The blonde sat quietly contemplating, alone with his thoughts, but it was no use. He thought much better out loud.

"What do you think it means that even in my dreams I can't kiss Riley without some type of interruption spoiling the moment," he pondered aloud.

Zay groaned in exasperation.

"I would tell you, but we've already established I'm not awake," he turned his back toward his friend.

Lucas gave the knob above a twist, silencing the hiss of the air conditioner, as if that were contributing to his distraction.

"Why can't I just kiss her," he bellowed, tossing his hands in the air. "It's not like I don't want to. I think about it all the time, but then when I'm with her it's like I can't work up the nerve and on the rare occasion I do, someone has a crisis or I lose a shoe. There's always something!"

The closest he had come was the night of the Valentine's dance and he had been acting purely on reflex at the time. She was making assumptions about his feelings and pulling further away from him. At that moment, something had simply snapped inside. All he could see was her disappearing into the night, just like she had back in Texas when he'd pleaded with her to reconsider. He wasn't letting her walk away again. He couldn't, but now that he knew she wanted him to- shouldn't that make it easier?

Hearing the desperation in his buddy's voice he twisted the other way around with a sigh. Clearly Lucas needed to talk and being asleep had not made Zay exempt from this conversation.

"Do I really need to spell this out for you, bro? Smackle and Farkle are two of the most scientific minded people on the planet and even they know you're doing this wrong," he grumbled, taking the blonde by surprise.

His brows knit together over his curious green eyes.

"What do you mean?"

Zay whined as he removed his pillow from his neck and shifted all his weight to one side.

"It's called the mating _dance_ , Lucas. Dance is all about passion and rhythm; about expressing what you _feel_. You wanna get the girl? Stop thinking about it and just do it already!" he huffed as he re-situated in his chair. "And now that I've given you the answers to the universe, I'm going back to sleep. You should do the same."

As he leaned back toward the window, the corners of his mouth lifted in a lazy smirk. He already kind of _had_ the girl, not that he was ready to share that information with anyone just yet. His smile grew as he replayed their conversation that day at the friendship bench in his head. She had told him that she loved him that day, that she wanted all the same things he did. It had been their first step forward after so many backward and side steps, and he'd never been happier than when she had told him she believed they were worth whatever risk was involved.

Both had agreed that they weren't ready, and if he was being completely honest, part of him still wasn't. There seemed to be another part of him though that could think of little else. There had always been at least two elements to their relationship. They were friends first and foremost but there had always been a steady undercurrent brimming just below the surface of something more' something about the way she leaned her hand against her cheek when she had asked him to keep talking that night in the library, or the silly expressions she made when she got excited about something. There was just something about her, and all the ways she was different from anyone else he had ever known.

He had never given much thought to the year between them, until recently. Even on that first day he hadn't felt any different from his new friends. He had been just as nerve wrecked as Riley had been when she had landed on his lap. He'd sat there awkwardly questioning where to place his hand.

On her leg?

Her knee?

His own leg?

The pocket between their bodies?

The number of choices had been overwhelming.

Maybe they hadn't been that different at the time, but somewhere along the way they had gone off in two complete opposite directions. He'd spent a lot of time looking back on the previous year, trying to understand what had gone wrong between them. Yes, there was Maya and whatever parts of her that had been attracted to him, but that was an outside force; something neither of them had any control over. He'd asked himself repeatedly what role he had played in the whole situation and his answer kept coming back to those moments where he'd lost control, first with Maya and then again with Riley.

Something was happening to him that didn't seem to be happening to the others. He couldn't pinpoint the exact origin. It had been so understated in the beginning, barely noticeable. He'd felt it the day Riley had come into the classroom in her cheerleading tryouts uniform and again in Texas when he had seen her and Maya come out in their new "country" apparel. There had been other times too, but it was always quiet, non-threatening, until it was combined with frustration. Then it became something else entirely that he still didn't understand.

He had a temper. There was no use denying it. He had a permanent record that would remind him if ever he forgot and educate anyone who read it to the depth of his troubles. Violent was the term the school psychologist had so kindly bestowed. His anger made him dangerous. He had easily understood that, had used it to his advantage more times than he could count or preferred to remember. This was a different loss of control, a whole new level of danger. With one kiss, he could have single-handedly destroyed any chance that he'd ever had with Riley, not to mention his friendship with Maya. He could have robbed the girl of his dreams of the moment they both deserved.

Riley had a way of taming those demons without even being aware of their presence. It was her faith in him, even when faced with the darkest parts of who he was, that had cut through the voice in his head tempting him to lay that bully out the way he wanted. It was her refusal to accept his help and her insistence to find a better way that had kept him from backsliding when she was in trouble. He'd have traded his very soul to end her suffering had she let him. It was always her pulling him back: at that campfire, in that parking lot. It was always her.

Of course, he knew she wasn't in the same place he was. While he was struggling to keep his "other" feelings in check, she was struggling just to make it through the day while still being there for those who she felt needed her.

"You think she's okay," he asked curiously. "I mean, I know she says that she's okay but…I'm not sure she would say anything if she wasn't. She didn't tell us about that kid online bothering her. She never let on that she was worried there was something between me and Maya, at least not until after she brother zoned me. She's always trying to take everything on by herself when she doesn't have to," he continued thinking out loud.

Zay placed the neck pillow over his head like a set of headphones hoping to drown out the voice next to him.

"She's a silent sufferer. You should try it sometime. Like now for example," he muttered.

As much as he thought of his friend and adored the sunshine girl, he was sick of her name, of the daily mentions and nightly dream analysis.

"I just hope she's letting someone help her with this," Lucas mused.

Zay twisted aggressively in his seat, glaring into green eyes.

"Seriously dude, one more word and I'm gonna press this button and ask the nice lady for a seat anywhere that isn't next to you," he barked venomously before once again turning his back to his companion.

Lucas peered out the window once more, his thoughts drifting back to the brunette. Soon- he didn't know when, but soon, he would be back in the city where he belonged. And he would see her. Granted, it wasn't under the best of circumstances, but that was the beauty of Riley Mathews. Even the dreariest day was a little bit brighter with her near.

* * *

Riley glanced out her window to the world set aglow. Any other day she would have thought it was a beautiful day, but not today. Today it seemed wrong somehow that the sun would dare to shine so brilliantly when something so terribly unfair was taking place. In the movies, the weather always matched the occasion. On this day, the sun would be barely peeking behind the clouds, a slight drizzle of rain falling gently in the background. Instead it was blazing without shame. Didn't the sun know what today was?

The world was supposed to know what it was doing. That's what she had been told by everyone older and wiser than her and she had believed them, because, well, why would they lie? But the more she thought about the year she'd had, the more she wondered how this could be what was supposed to happen. How could this be the plan of the universe?

In what world could it be right for two best friends to have feelings for the same person? What possible good could come from such a trial? Unless she and Lucas really weren't meant to be…but if that were the case, why give her these feelings at all? Why make him think he wanted her too? And why hurt Maya that way? Hadn't her best friend already had enough rejection and pain to last a lifetime? Why have her develop feelings for yet another person who didn't return them?

How was any of this fair?

As if summoned by her thoughts of him, her phone went off alerting her to his latest message. He had been texting her ever since he'd left for Texas. At first she had distanced herself from him; distracted with the fate of her grandfather, but that wasn't the only reason she had pulled back.

She rotated the bracelet circling her wrist. It had become her new nervous tick, next to tucking her hair. She'd considered taking it off, putting it away somewhere. It seemed wrong that she should have such a symbolic piece of him, and that her sister should be forced to see it as a constant reminder of what she didn't have. The last thing she wanted was to torture Maya, but she simply didn't have the heart to remove it. His gift had become an extension of her; one she couldn't part with any easier than the one who had given it.

Lucas was blissfully unaware of Maya's true feelings and though Riley hated the idea of any more secrets between the three of them, it wasn't her place to tell. The blonde had made her wishes very clear on the subject. She didn't want him knowing anything and really, there was no reason why he should. He had already made his intention toward both girls crystal clear. Maya was a friend and nothing more. The only one with a choice to make regarding the boy who had unintentionally ensnared them both was her.

If only she had known sooner, there would be no decision to make, but she and Lucas had already crossed that thin line separating their friendship from something deeper. They had shared "I love you's" and hopes for a future as more than just friends. He knew how sacred a promise was to her. There would be no convincing him that her feelings had changed so quickly, not after all that had been said and done.

She glanced down into the blue swirling orb, seeking answers she knew she wouldn't find. He believed in her, believed that she could do anything she wanted, be anything she wanted. Right now, the only thing she wanted was not to be her, not to be in this position; not to hurt anyone she cared about. There had to be a way to honor both relationships, she just hadn't found it yet. But she had to, if the three of them were to have any chance of coming out of this mess together.

It was as if someone had pressed the fast forward button on her life the moment she had gotten that phone call. She and Maya had raced to the hospital, only to learn of her Grandpa Alan's heart attack as they rushed him into emergency surgery. The doctors kept using big words that no one understood, while Farkle and his father did their best to translate, but their words all blurred together in her head. The whole day was just a flash of pictures and words that didn't fit.

Only now in hindsight did she see the events of that day clearly. Josh's absence after Christmas, the jokes he had made to her father and his pleading with him to take better care of himself; he had known that something wasn't right. The way Maya had crumpled in her arms before the ceremony confessing her fear because she was afraid. It wasn't change she was frightened by. It was the knowledge that her lie was affecting them without Riley being aware. She understood because she had felt the same when it was her withholding information. Every day she had woken up in terror that it would be the day the bottom fell out of their little world.

Her phone went off again. He was still waiting for a response.

After weeks of avoiding the issue, Maya had forced her into the bay window and demanded they finally finish their conversation. Personally, she didn't think there was much left to say. Maya had feelings for Lucas, so did she. Which meant neither one could be with him without willingly hurting the other. She remembered what it had been like for her to see the two of them together, thinking they were only at the beginning of their story. It had been like breathing through infected lungs; excruciating and yet necessary for survival. Could she do that to her sister?

It seemed selfish to move forward knowing that, but it's what the blonde wanted. She wanted Riley to continue this path with Lucas as if nothing had changed. As much as part of her wished to do just that, she wasn't sure she had it in her to do so.

There had to be another way.

She turned her focus to the image in the mirror, fingering the rhinestones and pearls adorning the collar of her black dress. It was short, sleeveless, and like the dress she had worn the night of the valentine's dance, the shoulders were sheer. There was a trail of black buttons leading the way down to her waist which was tapered with a big white bow.

She only hoped that it was appropriate for the occasion.

Cory Mathews appeared in the frame of his daughter's doorway, wrapping his knuckles against the wood.

"You about ready kiddo? It's about time to head out," he gently reminded.

She gave a silent nod, another emotionless smile plastered across her features.

Today was the one day no one would question the sincerity of her expression. They would all be too busy putting on their own show, keeping their own secrets. It was a masquerade, only instead of wearing masks, they would each come donning a counterfeit grin equal to her own.

* * *

The courthouse was already in a frenzy when Farkle and his family arrived. The steps were littered with paparazzi. Every reporter and photographer within a fifty-mile radius must have camped out overnight, eager to make a name for themselves by covering his father's trial. There was also a large group of protesters circling the vicinity; investors in Minkus Incorporation who now felt deceived and were seeking retribution. From a young age, he had been taught the concept of economics and how it applied to the world he lived in; specifically, the family business, but he had always managed to detach himself from the ruthlessness of it all because it wasn't personal, it was just business.

But to these people it was personal. It was their life savings, their retirement, their hard-earned money going to a cause they knew nothing about. It was a violation of trust between them and the company; between them and his father. As the founder and Chief Executor of Operations, it was his face they associated with Minkus Inc's doings. It didn't matter what he had or hadn't known at the time. In their eyes Stuart Minkus was nothing more than a figurehead and guilty as sin.

As they neared the building, the angry swarm gathered around shouting their outrage and offensive line of questioning. Bulbs flashed and tempers flared as his father wrapped his arms around his family, steering them through the crowd. Unable to get a rise out of the defendant or his wife, one of the reporters turned their focus to their only child.

"As the heir to the Minkus fortune, how do you feel about your father's ill-gotten gains," she asked, shoving her microphone right in his face.

His crystal blue eyes turned to ice as he stared her down. Logically, he realized that this was just another story to her, perhaps even her "big break." In her mind, she was simply doing her job. Nevermind the family she was destroying or the innocent man she was condemning.

It wasn't personal, it was business, but that didn't make it okay.

"I feel like this whole thing is unfair," he spat with fury. "My father has done nothing but work and sacrifice for this company, for a legacy he could be proud of! It's not like we knew this was gonna happen!"

The reporter narrowed her eyes, seeing an opportunity to fortunate to pass.

"Didn't plan to embezzle or didn't plan to get caught," she asked, before turning toward the camera. "You heard it here first, folks. Minkus Junior, guilty by association or willing accomplice?

The grip on his shoulder tightened at his words. He glanced up to see his father, eyes full of gratitude and sadness.

"Don't bother son. Just let the system do its job," he whispered into his ear.

As much as he appreciated his son sticking up for him, he knew none of those vultures had any interest in the truth. They were only looking for a way to advance their own agenda and scandal sold far more headlines than innocence.

Farkle stood outside the double doors staring into the abyss. He'd known this day was coming for several months, had thought he was prepared to face it, yet as he stood there amidst all the chaos the reality of the situation was finally hitting him. This was truly happening. Any moment they would file into the courtroom and begin the proceedings that would determine his family's future and the fate of their company. Up until that exact moment he had somehow managed to separate himself from this inevitability; telling himself since they had nothing to hide, they had nothing to fear. He wasn't so sure of that anymore.

If this were a perfect world where a person was judged based on their actions and nothing more that might be true. But this was a world of labels and lines; a world where people were told to chase the American dream of building an empire and then resented if they managed to succeed. This was not a case of State Vs Minkus, but Have's versus Have Nots. He'd never given much thought to that line before, the one that divided him from much of the population, but it was there. He'd always known his family was wealthier than most, and that afforded him privileges others didn't have, but he'd never been ashamed of that success until now.

That extraordinary stroke of luck might cost them everything that mattered, if the jury couldn't dissect the facts of the case from their own feelings about his father's money.

Maya stood behind him, her hands uncharacteristically clasped as she pondered how to protect her little bird from the hate and the judgement swelling up around them. He was such a sweet and sensitive soul, despite his overwhelming intellect. While he defined himself by his mind, she knew better. It wasn't what was in his head, but his heart that made him special.

Hers was breaking for him, but she couldn't show him that. He wouldn't want her to. It was why he'd done his best to continue as though nothing of consequence was happening all summer. Because he didn't want everything to change. Their patterns of behavior had all been previously established and those were the roles he wished for them to play. She glanced down at her hands, wondering why she'd always had to be so hard where he was concerned. Had she shown him kindness more often, he wouldn't consider it such an irregularity now.

"So I've been marathoning Law and Order all summer and I think I've got this lawyering thing pretty figured out," she declared striding forward, her heels clicking against the stone steps. "Any time they say anything bad about you or your dad I'll just stand and shout I object! Sure, they might hold me in contempt," she jested with a shrug, "but that just shows my commitment to my clients," she reasoned with a toss of her head, sending her blonde waves rolling behind her shoulder.

Farkle couldn't help but shake his head, one corner of his mouth lifting to form a smirk of amusement.

"I appreciate the uh…commitment, but please don't do that," he pleaded with her.

The last thing he wanted was yet another person he loved at risk of jailtime, or more likely juvenile detention in her case.

She nodded in agreement, silence falling between the two of them. Trying to live up to the role she had assigned herself had left little comfort or conversation. She just couldn't pull it off. Whatever usually fueled her incessant rejection of the genius or her pretense of noncaring, simply wasn't there.

"Tell me what I can do to help," she asked, desperate to feel useful.

What could she do?

What could anyone do?

None of them had any power in this situation.

"Tell me what to do," he begged. "Tell me how to handle this. Cause no one I know has ever been through anything like this, and there's no manual or research study on the subject. There's too many variables and not enough constants, and I don't know how to do this," the words came flooding out; his every doubt and fear, but he knew they were safe with her.

Maya nibbled on the corner of her bottom lip, contemplating his request. Farkle was the smartest person she knew. No matter the question, he always had an answer. No, not just an answer, the right answer. The best answer. What insight could she possibly offer him?

"Okay," she breathed, placing her hands on his shoulders, pointing him toward the doors he had been standing in front of.

"Close your eyes," she commanded as he peered at her curiously. "Just do it," she snapped when he hesitated. "Now I want you to picture your dad. He's smiling…he's happy. He's got an arm around your mom and the other around you, and the three of you are walking out of the courthouse. The jury has just found him not guilty on all counts- "

Farkle's lids rose, revealing the deep blue pools beneath studying her.

"I told you, I've been watching Law and Order all summer. You pick up things," she defended before continuing her instruction. "Now just hold onto that picture in your head."

He nodded, turning toward the blonde.

"So it's like a visualization," he inquired.

She brushed her hair back behind her ear with a smile.

"It's what I do with my art," she explained. "I see something in my head and then I make it real by putting it on paper…but visualization makes it sound a lot smarter so let's go with that."

Again, he nodded, but this time it seemed to be an acknowledgement rather than agreement. He hated hearing her so self-deprecating. It wasn't like her at all. She was the girl who owned her brokenness with pride, but she did have occasional moments when her guard was let down. It made sense that today might be one of those days. She was trying to be gentle with him; poor, defenseless bird that he was in her eyes.

* * *

Riley scanned the endless sea of people searching for any trace of her friends. Though they hadn't made any preordained plan to be there, she knew none of them would leave Farkle to face the wolves alone. Being a nobody in the eyes of the crowd made it much easier to navigate. While they were seeking out victims to exploit, she was moving inward without notice. She had just cleared the courthouse steps when she paused, the distinct feeling that something, or more significantly, someone was pulling her backward.

The brunette spun on her heels, losing her balance, and toppled straight into the arms a tall, blonde, handsome boy with bright green eyes.

"Hi," she sighed, breathless from almost falling.

His emerald orbs dragged her down under, to the depths of his soul as he graced her with a dimpled grin.

"Hey," he replied, equally stunned.

For just a moment she forgot where she was and why. She forgot everything except the heat radiating between them, the racing of her heart, and the brilliance of his smile. How was it possible that someone so beautiful inside and out had come to care for someone like her, and how could love from someone like him ever be a bad thing? Surely, this wasn't all some cruel joke inflicted on them both. There had to be a purpose; a reason their relationship had unfolded the way it had.

"Hi," she replied, beginning to squirm in his arms.

He chuckled at her childish attempts to free herself as he planted her feet firmly and gently on the ground.

With that one fluid motion, both her head and feet returned from the clouds. When she had imagined throwing herself into his arms, this wasn't quite the scenario she had envisioned. She'd expected for their reunion to coincide with that of their other friends. What she hadn't anticipated was to end up clumsily tangled up in him yet again. Now there was standing on the courthouse steps with him, grasping for something acceptable to say under the circumstances.

"Thank you for catching me," she mumbled, her hand reaching up to brush her hair back. "You know…again," she amended.

His gaze landed on the bracelet around her wrist with a smile. She was still wearing it, and he wondered, if perhaps she had all summer. He liked the idea of giving her something she valued that much.

He shrugged, burying his hands in his pockets.

"I like being the one to catch you," he confessed with sincerity.

She glanced down momentarily considering an appropriate response. Truthfully, she liked him being there to always catch her as well. She just didn't like feeling guilty about it. Maybe her classmates were right, and it was nothing more than a childish infatuation with the boy who was always saving her. In Texas, she had called him a hero, and to an extent that was how she saw him. But it wasn't because of how he looked or his quick reflexes that earned him that title in her mind. It was his imperfections as well. It was his troubled past and how he had made the choice to change, how even when he was afraid, he still faced his fears. Those were the traits of a true hero. They were part of what made him…him. Maybe someday the feelings she was currently experiencing would fade, but her admiration of his character wouldn't wash away with them.

By the time she decided on a reply it no longer mattered, as they were no longer alone.

"I see our cowboy Casanova finally got his moment," the blonde sassed with a smirk, though it lacked its usual oomph.

Riley instinctively began to twirl the bracelet around her wrist once more.

"We were just looking for you guys," she assured, an apologetic smile on her lips.

Lucas sensed the transformation in demeanor the second Maya appeared. Even now, with the triangle over with, Riley struggled to balance her roles between the two of them. He could easily understand that since he was fighting a similar battle. While he was grateful for the time they'd shared alone, he hadn't come there to be Riley's unofficial boyfriend. He was there to be Farkle's friend, and the longer he stood on the steps lost in Rileytown, the more he was failing at his intended post.

Maya forced a chuckle as she imitated what she hoped came off as her famous mischievous twinkle.

"Well, you're not gonna find us in Huckleberry's pretty green eyes, honey," she teased, taking her act a step further.

She hated herself for adding to Riley's guilt about the situation, but she couldn't very well sell her "I don't care" mentality without employing her usual good natured ribbing.

"We're all gathered over there," she said, pointing to the others, "Farkle says they're about ready to start."

Lucas and Riley shared a meaningful look.

"Without Smackle," he questioned.

The blonde summoned up her strength for another one-liner. In the past she had relished these little zingers, but now they weren't only pricking at his smooth, impenetrable façade. They were wounding her too.

"Geeze, Ranger Rick, isn't one girlfriend enough for you?"

Riley glanced from Lucas's embarrassment to Maya's shame.

"But shouldn't she be here by now," Riley asked, offering both parties a reprieve.

Maya led them over to where Zay and Farkle were gathered with his family and some of the other adults. She explained that Smackle had planned to be back in time for the trial, but like Lucas and Zay, had been forced to cut it too close. An unexpected change in her flight plan had prevented her from arriving on time, but she was set to get in later that afternoon. With the group finally united, they shared greetings and hugs as the double doors opened, inviting the masses to come through security and prepare to take their seats.

Stuart took the other adults aside, an anxious smile strained across his features.

"Thank you guys again so much for bringing the kids by. I know that it means the world to Farkle having their support."

Cory and Shawn shared a glance before turning their attention to their childhood classmate.

"We didn't come here to drop off the children," Cory revealed.

"Nope, we're going in with you," Shawn replied, completing his best friend's sentence.

Stuart truly didn't understand the two men standing in front of him at all. They weren't technically what one would consider friends. Even during their days at John Addams, they hadn't been that close. And yet here they were, here to support him and his wife through this ordeal, when their own friends had failed to make an effort. While he had spent much of his adult life rubbing elbows it seemed his son had done a far better job and selecting the people truly worth having in his life. And because his son had befriended Cory and Shawn's girls, it seemed that he and Jennifer now had four new unexpected friends worth holding onto.


	2. The Taste of Blood and Summer

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for all your follows, faves, reviews, and readings of this story! Things will be moving quite a bit quicker in this half, simply because I know where things are going this time. Hope you enjoy reading this one as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

Riley and Maya were sitting at the kitchen table of the Mathews apartment waiting for their friends to arrive. The trial was still in process, however, after the events of the first day, it was decided that the children should be kept far from that place and the opportunists lurking there. The reporter who had ambushed Farkle had succeeded in her goal of making headlines. The "interview" had been playing nonstop on news stations for days. The videos online were viewed by several and filled with nasty commentary that infuriated both girls. These people didn't know Farkle, and yet they were judging him by the words this woman had twisted and forced in his mouth.

"We could poison her," the blonde remarked flippantly as she shed the strawberry pop tart from its shiny packaging.

Riley turned to her friend with round cautious eyes. She understood her sister's impulse. Even she had wished some not very nice things on the awful woman causing their friend so much grief, but death was another level entirely.

"We can't poison her Maya," the brunette chided breaking off a piece of her own breakfast and popping it into her mouth with her fingers.

Her best friend shrugged, as she continued to chew.

"Okay, fine. I could poison her,' she corrected, "I won't even tell you when I do it. You'll have complete deniability," she insisted appearing pleased with herself as though she had just solved a difficult problem.

Riley froze, her hand just in front of her mouth with the second piece of her pop tart pinched between her fingers.

"You can't poison her either, peaches."

Maya may have more solid nerves and a less persistent conscience when it came to crossing lines, there was a major difference between being the queen of detention and being the merry murderess of juvenile detention…assuming they didn't try her as an adult and skip straight to prison. While she didn't particularly like the reporter she wasn't worth Riley's guilt or her friend's freedom.

Again, the blonde shrugged as though offing people were a natural daily occurrence between bites.

"Sure I can. A couple drops of the right chemical on that precious microphone of hers and its bye, bye, birdie," she said with a smirk and a wave.

"Happens on Law & Order all the time."

The brunette shook her head with a gentle smile.

"But that's television Maya. This is real life," she replied slowly, placing a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.

The blonde made an undignified sound somewhere between a snort and a scoff.

"Why do you think they have that disclaimer before every episode," she challenged, clearly amused at her best friend's naivety. "This stuff happens. They just change the names and twist a few details to make it more interesting."

Riley's head angled toward the girl sitting next to her. That stuff happened for real? Did they really live in a world where people did such cruel things to one another, and if so, how could that be the same world that her father insisted was looking out for everyone and had their best interest at heart?

Her brows furrowed above her dark, shock filled orbs.

"Cause cold blooded murder isn't interesting enough," she questioned curiously.

Maya fought the urge to laugh as she watched her friend putting the pieces together. Rileytown had always been such a fascinating place to her. More so as of the last year. Before she had thought of Riley's mind as a simple one; a place made of flowers and rainbows, where it never occurred to anyone that people weren't all naturally good. There had been a time when that was probably true, but now her sister knew that people could lie. They could pretend to feel things they didn't, and pretend not to feel things they did. She knew that some things were beyond her ability to fix. And now she knew that people could hurt others just to benefit themselves.

She turned toward the brunette with flaming eyes that reminded Riley of a blowtorch; a concentrated fury.

"She hurt our Farkle, Riles," her tone icy and threatening. "She humiliated him on live T.V."

Riley knew that Maya was a good person, better than she let on. She could grab people by the shirt and snarl out witticisms that cut others down to size, but she would never legitimately hurt anyone. No matter how much she might despise the reporter in question, she did have a conscience and it would never allow her to step so far over the line as to take a life. Still, in that moment, if looks could physically harm anyone, that woman wouldn't have a prayer.

"I know," she conceded with a sigh, "and I don't like it any more than you do, but- "she was in the middle of her sentence when the front door burst open and there, in his jeans and black t-shirt, stood her uncle Josh.

Maya's heart bled out as she caught a glimpse of the young man in the doorway. For as long as she could remember he had been going on about those big, long, inescapable three years that divided them. It was why he had been "too big to play with little girls" when they were children. And why nothing could happen between them now. However, she had never seen before that distance between them, until now.

He looked older, as if the last few months had washed away the last of his childhood and boyishness. There were shadows beneath his eyes, and his shoulders sagged; as though he were carrying a burden no one else could see. Gone was his charismatic smile, and larger than life personality that filled a room. Even his proud strut had been replaced with a somber walk, she observed, as he entered the apartment.

"Hey family," he greeted with a sigh, his hand caressing the back of his neck.

He used to crow out those words, she thought sadly.

The brunette next to her managed to mumble a "hello" in response, but she just sat there watching, studying…wishing there were some way she could help him.

That was all she had done all summer; watch and wish that somehow she could do more for the people she loved. After they got the call, they rushed over to the hospital where Mr. and Mrs. Mathews and everyone else was already waiting. Cory was sitting next to Josh, who was hunched over in a chair. He looked like a little boy then; lost and scared and completely helpless. Her wise and all-knowing history teacher flailed in his attempts to comfort his little brother while Topanga and Alan's wife Amy, spoke with the hospital representative. It seemed so unfair that they would be asking her about things like insurance or money while her husband was somewhere in their building with another man's hands in his chest.

Shawn was standing over by the wall, doing his best to hold it all in, while her mother stood at his side whispering words only he knew. Whatever they were obviously meant a lot to him because he placed his hand over hers and gave her a smile and kiss of gratitude. She'd never thought before, about what the Mathews family meant to him. Technically, that was how they had met; because he was Cory's best friend. But it had never occurred to her how much more than a friend he was to that family, how much more he was than a friend to them.

He was one of them. Just like she was. Alan meant to him, what his best friend meant to her. And that that was the moment she understood what he must be feeling. Thankfully, Mr. Mathews made it through the surgery and with some lifestyle adjustments, would be just fine.

Once he was ready for transport, Cory and Shawn both packed up their families and returned to Philadelphia for the remainder of the season. Had it not been for Farkle's father being trial, they would probably just now be coming home. Alan had insisted they bring his youngest son back with them, determined that he would go off to school as planned. Josh, of course, had protested, but in the end, he had given in to his father's wishes. So now here he was, in the city, in the Mathews living room, tired and downtrodden. A year ago she might have been so distracted by his presence that she missed the point of what it meant for him to be there or how much he was struggling. A year ago, she would have only been able to think about how to take advantage of his proximity. Now she just wanted to somehow ease the pain.

Cory came bouncing down the stairs, halting at the bottom. His eyes went soft and misty upon the sight of his little brother, and she knew exactly what was coming next. They all did. First his head would tilt slightly to the side with a nostalgic sigh. Then his hands would make some exaggerated gesture like flying over his heart or skittering about the air as he spoke. He would make some inhuman noise as though the time passing were physically injuring him and then he would open his mouth and say something about the good old days when he was a younger man and the children were just babies.

True to his nature, he did just that, oozing sentimentality from every pore as he spoke.

"My baby brother...just look at you," he said, wrapping an arm around his sibling's shoulders. "You know, I remember the day we brought you home from the hospital, and now here you are; a young man about to start college."

Josh glanced at his brother from the corner of his eyes.

"You do realize I'm not one of your kids, right Cor," he asked skeptically.

Maya could have sworn she saw the ghost of a smirk on his lips.

"Naw, but he could've been," Zay interjected, from the doorway; the rest of the gang on his heels. Without so much as a wave or a greeting he passed both Mathews men as he made his way toward the kitchen.

"You know, had he and the missus been normal hormonally driven teenagers," he explained, rummaging through the cabinets for a clean cereal bowl.

Auggie, who had been lost in his video game, and shown zero interest in their conversation up to this point, was suddenly all ears.

"You mean I could've had a big brother," he exclaimed excitedly.

The slightest blush rose up on the older man's cheeks and ears as he thought back to the night he had learned he was going to be a big brother again. It was the night of his senior prom. The same night that he and Topanga had contemplated giving themselves to one another body and soul for the first time. He then shuddered as he remembered walking in on his mother in a negligee.

Zay picked up on this from the other side of the room with a cocky grin. He had only been teasing, but judging by Mr. Mathews response, he had accidentally struck gold on a good Mathews story.

Cautiously, she turned her gaze to the other Texan in the room, but as usual, he was unaware of her existence. And so was Riley. The moment he entered the apartment they disappeared into a world all their own. It wasn't Rileytown or Austin, Texas, but somewhere they could only find together, within one another. How could she compete with that? She couldn't. And she knew it. She could no more infiltrate that world than she could erase those three years between her and Josh. They were impenetrable barriers.

Josh just shook his head, dismissing both Zay's comment and the implication of Cory's colored cheeks.

"Unless I can find a small fortune in the next few days, I might not be starting school this semester after all," he replied, defeat in his voice.

He had just begun to look forward to the year ahead, and now it was slipping away. He'd fought so hard against leaving his family behind, but in the end he had been grateful for his father's insistence. The city had breathed new life into him, just as Shawn and Cory had assured him it would. As had the dream of beginning a new journey.

Farkle exchanged glances first with the dark-haired beauty at his side and then with his history teacher. A year ago he would have had the means to help Josh with his financial troubles. He'd had enough money for anything and everything he could ever want, and he'd used it to his advantage. He had blown more money than he had bothered to keep up with on extravagant items like virtual video games and a personal trolley. Money that could have been better spent helping others. Maybe the people on the other side of that imaginary line had a point? If he and his family were fortunate enough to have that kind of wealth, wasn't it their responsibility to use it to better the world somehow?

"I wish I could help but-" he muttered, his words hanging in the air.

Josh barely knew the boy, yet somehow he believed that Farkle truly meant what he said and would loan him the money he needed under better circumstances.

"No worries, Dr. Turtleneck," he shrugged. "Maybe it just wasn't meant to be."

The young genius offered him a sympathetic smile.

"Farkle," he corrected.

The young man's brows knot together as he peered at his brother and then back to the boy speaking.

"What's a Farkle," he inquired, causing the others to stifle their laughter.

Cory pointed to his former classmate's son with an amused grin.

"He is. That's his name."

This answer only seemed to perplex him further.

"But why," he implored. "Why would anybody do that to their child?"

Zay spooned the last bite of cereal into his mouth and laid the empty bowl in the sink. Not to do so would be impolite, and that Isaiah Babineaux was not.

"Either they're pretentious or just really don't like him," he replied.

Farkle showed no offense. In fact, he merely chuckled with a smirk and said "coming from the guy who refuses to disclose his middle name."

All eyes shifted suspiciously toward Zay. The genius had a point. Farkle bore the weight of his strange name, while their newest addition hid his. The silence grew until the group of children erupted into a second fit of laughter. Meanwhile, Cory watched his kid brother with his daughter and her friends. Slowly his wheels began to turn.

"Hey Josh, you think you could do your big bro a favor and escort these young ones to registration for me," he asked, a plan already beginning to form in his mind.

The younger Mathews again peered at his brother skeptically, certain he was up to something. However, he had no valid reason to refuse the request. Reluctantly he agreed and set out with his niece and her friends for Abigail Addams High. Once they were out of sight Cory did what was always done in a crisis. He called for his wife.

* * *

Riley stood in front of the large brick building where she and her friends would be spending the next four years of their lives. The last three months had been filled with thoughts of more immediate concerns like her grandfather's health or the Minkus trial, but now, standing in front of those double doors, she was struck by the enormity of it all. She was a high school freshman and in four years when she exited those doors for the final time she would be an adult. They all would be. Except for Josh, who would be completing his college degree, unless his plans for this year fell through as he feared.

What would happen to the rest of them?

Timidly she glanced over to her left where Maya stood; her best friend, her forever. But would they make it to forever with this obstacle between them, she wondered. The blonde offered her a reassuring smile, but it was less than effective with her own fear shining through. She might not be able to read Maya's mind anymore, but she was willing to bet almost anything that her sister was having similar doubts, which didn't bode well since she had always been the sure one.

Her gaze then shifted over toward Lucas, only to find his was already on her. His eyes were so bright and green, shining right at her, and she couldn't help but smile back at him. Would he still be at her side four years from now? She hoped so…but what would that mean for her and Maya if he was? It was terrifying; the idea of opening herself up to him, only to end up with a book of poetry and flavored lip gloss in a capsule she had to open alone, but when he looked at her like that…it was almost possible to believe that perhaps their story could have a happy ending. Even if they had met too soon or liked each other too much in the beginning.

Josh must have sensed their hesitance because he took it upon himself to ease the tension.

"Guys, it's just a building. Just like your last school," he reminded gently. "The only thing scary in there is probably the gym teacher."

The friends each turned to one another, asking a silent question.

Her uncle was right. It was just a place. The only power it had was the power they chose to give it, and none of them would allow anything in those hallways to come between them. One by one they all nodded toward the brunette, before she turned toward their adult escort.

"You're right. Let's do this," she replied.

At first it appeared that Josh had been right all along. As they began their trek down the long narrow halls, she scolded herself internally for allowing her reservations to play such tricks on her. However, as they neared the large cafeteria where the registration booth was set up her confidence quickly revealed itself to be counterfeit.

Never before had Riley seen so many teenagers in one place, and only a handful of them did she recognize. Yogi and Darby were toward the front of the line and Sarah was over at one of the fifty different tables in the room, filling out her paperwork. Every other face was foreign to her. Her stomach began to tie in knots as she took stock of the new faces around her; girls who were taller, prettier, better dressed. She watched their eyes light up as her and her friends walked past and it didn't take a genius to understand why. Lucas had always had that effect on people.

The boys in the room were taking notice of them as well, well not of her, of Maya. She was the blonde beauty. Riley was just her pretty, quirky sidekick, but that was okay. There was only one boy whose attention she wanted, and miraculously he didn't seem to mind all the things she wasn't. He had chosen her over the prettiest, most popular girl in their grade, she reminded herself. But there were several girls in that room that put Missy Bradford to shame. Would he choose her over all of them?

That was the part of their arrangement she had forgotten to consider. What if by the time Maya had moved on, and she was ready to be someone's girlfriend, Lucas was already someone else's boyfriend?

She peered over toward him, needing that silent promise reflecting back at her. Sure enough, it was there; his eyes already on her.

"You okay," he whispered in concern; his breath teasing her ear.

She smiled, tucking back a strand of hair from her face.

"I've never seen so many people," the brunette mumbled self-consciously.

Lucas offered her a dimpled smile, shaking his head. This was New York City. They saw more people coming and going on the subway platform every day, but he knew she would find no comfort in that. Instead he reached out, taking her hand in his. It was soft and warm, and not at all awkward as he gave it a gentle squeeze.

"More people just means more potential friends; more people to appreciate how special you are."

This! This was exactly why she loved him; why she couldn't afford to ever lose him. Because he helped her to believe in the one thing she truly struggled with. Herself. He made her feel as though she were enough. Still, she had a lifetime of previous experience that told her she was an acquired taste.

"And if they don't," she asked.

He looked down to where his thumb was caressing the top of her hand. It was impossible for him to imagine someone not seeing the value in all she was, but the previous year had taught him not everyone did. They were fools and it was their loss but Riley wouldn't blame them. She would blame herself.

His gemstone gaze rose to meet her own.

"Then you'll still have me," he thought about lifting her hand to his lips, but resisted the impulse, unsure of how she would respond.

"And I always will," he promised.

Maya swallowed down her usual cocktail of confusion and disappointment with a smirk as she watched Riley and Lucas together. She wished she could go back to the beginning when she could see them together without it twisting up her insides. Each day she relived those memories in her head, trying to remember how and when her feelings had begun to change. She had been pleased when the cute stranger had caught her best friend. At the time, she'd had no interest in any boy but the one standing next to her now. The only reason she had approached the blonde at all was to teach Riley all she needed to know about boy/girl relationships. Only it turned out she hadn't been the expert she thought herself to be.

Unable to endure the starry eyes and secret gestures they assumed no one else noticed any longer, her gaze shifted to the young man she had so often admired. The muscular Texan wasn't the only one attracting unwanted attention. Josh was tall, with piercing blue eyes and a dazzling smile. Even with the dark cloud hovering above his head he was the image of a teenage girl's dream. And several of her new classmates were making certain he knew it too.

In all her years of fawning and flirting, she had never seen Josh so uncomfortable. But then she had never looked at him the way these girls were. They were the same age as her, and yet they came off as older somehow. There was something different about the way they expressed their interest than she had; something almost predatory. They wanted something from him that she had never thought to desire, and judging by his expression, he was just as disturbed by this as she was.

Halfway through the line, two girls; tall, leggy, wearing shirts too tight and skirts too short, not so subtly brushed past before leaning on a nearby table. All the while they salivated over the eighteen-year-old like Shawn over Cory's pancakes.

Something welled up inside her; something thick and heavy and hot like lava bubbling to the surface. Whether it was born of protective instinct or jealousy she wasn't sure, and honestly didn't care to speculate. Never one to hide her emotions, she turned her glare toward the girls; her eyes glinting with disdain.

"Ya know if you take a picture it'll last longer," she snapped in their direction.

These girls weren't like the students from John Quincy Addams. They had no modesty or shame as one of them actually pulled out her phone to act on the suggestion. She stepped in front of Josh, catching the device in her hand.

"Really," she asked her tone confounded, "I wasn't serious. What's wrong with you?!"

The girl didn't even have the decency to appear remorseful. She simply shrugged as her friend sauntered up, making certain to sashay her hips dramatically for his benefit.

Her jet-black hair cascaded in waves, framing her big violet eyes and pointed pink lips perfectly. Everything about this girl rubbed Maya the wrong way; from her manicured fingernails to the snooty way she stuck her nose in the air as she looked down on the others in the room. The snobby girl shot her a mere glance implying she wasn't even worth a response before turning her sights on the piece of eye candy that had caught her attention.

"You know, I had a Chihuahua that used to yip like that," she remarked pointing dismissively toward her competition. "Slapped a shock collar round its neck, put it right in its place," she purred, finally meeting the blonde's simmering fury with a smile all teeth and unspoken threat.

Every girl in her old school had known to fall in line or get out of the way. When she wanted something, she got it, end of story. But this short, spunky person in front of her didn't seem to be aware she was fighting a losing battle. Not only did she not shrink back in fear, she had the audacity to snicker in reply.

"You're lucky I'm not your dog. I'd have bitten you," she mocked with a smirk. "He's not interested so why don't you and your friend with no manners just move along," she said, tossing the phone toward its owner.

Josh stood behind her in shock. He had spent a fair amount of time with Riley and her friends that summer; particularly her best friend. Her bold behavior in the past had been amusing, endearing even, but this girl was nothing like the one defending him. She was pretty, but unlike Maya she knew it, and clearly used it to her advantage. If by some chance that weapon failed her, she then moved on to the next one in her arsenal; her womanly figure. She walked with an air of superiority he could assume only came from good breeding or a well-padded bank account. Put simply she was a brat who had most likely never heard the word no, and he found himself uncertain how to deal with this underage girl who clearly had no respect for his wishes or concerns.

While he struggled to sort out his options, the girls' verbal sparring match had started to attract some attention of its own. Students from both schools observed with gaping jaws and round eyes as Maya Hart, the wild child of John Quincy Addams took on Cassandra Moore, the self-proclaimed queen of Andrew Jackson Junior High. She wore a smug expression; purses lips and the tip of her nose wrinkled upward as she examined her opponent. There was no denying her beauty, but long hair and big blue eyes were hardly a find. Every Barbie doll in the last fifty years had worn them. Her clothes were cute but obviously cheap. She had a quick mind and biting wit, but at the end of the day, she was just another drone that would eventually learn to serve. And if not, then a pest to be eliminated.

Not to be outdone by someone so evidently beneath her, she stepped closer, eyes dancing with malice.

"Are you his girlfriend or his guard dog," she asked with a smile, almost as if she knew their story already.

She then turned her focus to the prize she was so eager to win.

"I can loan you a muzzle if you need help getting a word in," she offered playfully.

Josh watched as the girl standing in front of him flinched at those words and felt his fingers begin to curl. That spoiled little girl had found the chink in Maya's armor and now that she knew her weak spot, had every intention to exploit it. She was a female and a child. He couldn't hit her, but he could put a stop to her antics. Just as he opened his mouth to speak he heard a voice; still passionate but not as confident as before.

"No, I'm not his girlfriend, but I am someone that cares about him and I stand up for the people I care about when they need someone on their side. That's what a good friend does. You see the way he keeps reaching up to play with his hair even though it's not there? That's what he does when he's uncomfortable and you're the one making him feel that way. He's not interested and even if he was he wouldn't date you because he's three years older than us and it's inappropriate," she barked like the protective canine she'd been accused of being.

Once again Josh was overwhelmed by her knowledge regarding his inner workings. He had never realized how diligently she must have been watching him or how much he had meant to her. Whatever she felt for him, one thing he did believe is that it went much deeper than he had ever dared to think, and he found himself grateful to have her in his corner.

Cassandra's smile grew wickedly as she found another vulnerability.

"Or maybe he's just too nice to tell you he isn't interested in you," she countered suggestively.

Having had enough, Josh stepped forward, his handsome features hard with disapproval.

"She's absolutely right, I'm too old for you," he said pulling out one of his charming smiles as he wrapped an arm around Maya's shoulders. "And if I weren't I would definitely go with the blonde," he replied turning his back on the self-entitled princess.

Maya's feminine features scrunched in a mask of intimidation as she bore her teeth and let out a low growling noise, while he led her away. She knew that he was probably only saying it to make a point and that even if he wasn't there was still that invisible, inevitable barrier between them. There was also the matter of Lucas and whatever parts of her ached at the sight of him with Riley. The declaration didn't mean or change anything, and still knowing all this, she couldn't explain or understand the way her heart leapt when he had drawn her in close to him and said in another life, under different circumstances, he would choose her. Not that it mattered because that place and time didn't exist, she reminded herself.

Maybe it was better that he wouldn't be attending college in the city. Things were already screwed up enough without his presence complicating matters.

The moment their backs were turned Josh's confidence began to crack. While he greatly appreciated Maya standing up for him, and had meant every word he said in her defense, he realized now he might have been too quick to act. Whoever that girl was, she clearly had a very high opinion of herself, and though his role had come to an end, he feared her bruised ego would be taken out on the young lady standing next to him. She peered up at him with a gaze as deep and mysterious as the ocean itself, as though she were trying to puzzle him out, and he found himself wondering if she somehow knew what he was thinking.

He offered her a boyish smirk in return, but that only appeared to confuse her more.

"What," he inquired, curiously.

Judging by her reaction, she hadn't expected him to ask.

Something shifted behind her eyes; a decision of response.

"You didn't have to do that," she replied, her tone hard and eyes accusing.

She wanted to be grateful for what he had done, and part of her was. But she also wanted to protect herself. From what she wasn't sure. She'd long since given up any dream of him ever looking past those three years and seeing her as anything more than Riley's best friend or the girl who used to make a fool out of herself each time he came around.

Lucas would have flinched or worse, given her some knowing look. She hated those looks. She hated that he always gave her the benefit of the doubt, and she especially hated when he was right.

Josh didn't do that.

Instead he let out a soundless chuckle, his blue eyes twinkling with humor. He shook his head and shrugged before turning back to meet her eyes.

"I know," he said, and that was the end of it.

* * *

The whole way back to the apartment he'd been searching for the lesson life might be attempting to teach him. He had assumed this errand was meant to offer a distraction; that Cory had asked him to go to take his mind off his own troubles. If so, it was a noble effort, but flawed in design. Being back in a high school only reminded him that he no longer belonged there. He had glanced over at his niece and her friends, and suddenly felt incredibly out of place. He had already walked that path four years earlier. Now it was their turn.

There was something to be said for a position on the outside. It provided a much broader perspective. Once he had removed himself from the middle of the situation he couldn't help but notice little things that he had missed before. Like the way Riley was working so hard to keep her attention equally balanced between Maya and Lucas. He knew that something had gone down between the three of them, but neither girl had ever gone into specifics. They both just kept saying things were different or had changed. There was clearly some residual strain from the events of the previous year, but he wasn't worried. The girls would work it out, if for no other reason than because they needed one another too much to allow anything or anyone to come between them.

He had also noticed the way Farkle clung to his girlfriend's hand as he pretended not to see the unkind looks being tossed in his direction. That reporter had done him a great disservice by twisting his words that day. With one pointed question, she had turned nearly every middle and lower class person in the free world against the guy. High school was difficult enough without stirring up such prejudices.

There had been a small celebration between the gang when they had reached the front of the line, and then silence as they went to a nearby table to fill out the proper paperwork. Riley and the one they called Zay seemed to struggle with their options while the others quickly selected their courses, but they patiently waited until everyone was done. He admired that about his niece and her friends. Every time he saw them they were a unit; striving to evolve at exactly the same rate so as not to leave anyone behind. It wasn't very realistic, but it was thoughtful, and he found himself wishing it were possible. For their sakes.

Now he and the girls had nearly reached their destination and he still didn't know what it was he was supposed to have learned by accompanying them. Or maybe there was no lesson. Maybe not everything that happened in life was part of some grand plan. Maybe there was no reason to any of it; his father's heart attack, his tuition troubles, his brother sending him out with the kids. Maybe he was looking for answers to a question that didn't exist.

All thoughts of the existential jigsaw puzzle in his head vanished as he entered the apartment where Cory and his wife Topanga were waiting for their arrival.

"Is that him," Eric's voice came over the phone speaker, strategically placed in the center of the room, who was then scolded by Morgan, also on the line.

"Calm down Eric, Cory will let us know when it's our cue."

Cory sat on the couch next to the speaker, leg up on his knee, practically bouncing up and down with anticipation. He was obviously up to something.

Josh shot his sister in law a questioning glance, but all she did was smile; big and proud. He then turned to the girls on either side of him, but their expression quickly told him they were just as clueless as he was. Hesitantly he made his way over toward the phone, hands in his pockets, leaning over the table where the phone sat.

"I'm here guys, what's up," he asked, getting straight to the point.

"My brotha!" Eric exclaimed.

Josh echoed in reply as was tradition.

"What am I, chopped liver," Morgan demanded.

"And my sista!" he corrected, while Cory continued to spring up and down.

Whatever the news was he was near to bursting with it.

"Can I tell him, I wanna tell him," Eric insisted but Morgan reeled him in once more.

"We already talked about this Eric. It was Cory's idea so he's gonna be the one to tell him." She reminded before addressing her other brother. "Go on Cory."

Josh's inquisitive gaze landed on his brother, "Yeah, go on Cor," he parroted, eager to be let in the loop.

Unable to hold it in a second longer, he erupted in excitement.

"Your school troubles are over," he announced with jazz hands and dramatic inflection.

Josh stood silent, processing his brother's words. His troubles were over. He had left the apartment certain he would lose his place in roster and now Cory was telling him it was all taken care of. But how? Cory didn't have that kind of money. None of them did.

"Is he smiling, is he bouncing up and down, or crying? Come on Cor, you're our eyes, give us something," Eric ranted over the speaker.

Cory had expected a more animate response, but he understood his brother might need more information before he was ready to accept what was being said.

"I think it's still sinking in," he spoke over the monitor before directing his focus to his little brother. "Your scholarship covers the tuition- "

The young man began shaking his head, "but not the out of state stuff or living arrangements," he explained.

His brother smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I know, but we've already worked it out. Between the three of us we can cover the extra tuition cost, and you can stay here with us instead of the dorms. I know it's not the most glamorous freshman year, but this way you don't have to postpone and next year you'll be a New York citizen."

Josh shifted his gaze from his brother to Topanga who nodded her approval. He then turned back toward his niece for her permission but she and Maya were already heading toward the staircase without so much as congratulations or a smile.

"Is he crying yet," Eric shouted, pulling him back into the moment.

He turned back toward the speaker with a smile.

"No, but I'm pretty dang close man. Seriously guys, I can't thank you enough for doing this for me," his voice quivering as he spoke.

He shared hugs with Cory and Topanga and thanked his brother and sister on the phone profusely. His blue eyes then turning back to trace the stairs. A year ago when he had opened his acceptance letter, or rather when Maya had opened it, they had both been happy for him and made it known in their own ways. It was strange to be having this moment without them. He didn't linger on the thought long though. There would be plenty of opportunities for shared moments now that he was moving into the apartment.

* * *

There had been a time when Riley and Maya could sit in the comfort and safety of the window and feel apart from the world. Back then the silence had been peaceful. Now it was suffocating as they sat there. It was the first time that they had truly felt in sync in months as they had turned to one another downstairs; the same two words hanging from both their lips. Bay window they had both said, and so there they were, neither certain how to proceed. And the dangers that once seemed so far away were no longer escapable behind closed doors.

The brunette shifted in her seat, forcing her mind not to think. She had made a promise; not to ask questions, not to try and fill in the blanks on her own, however it was quite a challenge to hold back her inquisitive nature. Especially on the days when she had to stumble through with closed eyes and paint her thoughts with ignorance. She wanted to understand. She was trying to, but it was nearly impossible when her brain kept viewing their situation as a puzzle with mismatched pieces.

She wasn't supposed to notice the ferocity with which the blonde had attacked those girls for daring to look at her uncle the wrong way. Granted, they been very inappropriate. Nor was she supposed to wonder why Lucas had received similar hungry looks from other females in the room without her so much as batting an eyelash. And she definitely shouldn't be sitting there comparing the two reactions. She had vowed to take Maya at her word and that's what she was determined to do.

Even if her words and actions didn't quite tell the same story…

Maya sat silently twiddling her thumbs. She had asked for this conversation on instinct; unsure of why or what she should say. All she had known was that she needed to talk with her best friend. The idea of Josh taking up residence in her home away from home had been that overwhelming.

"Are you going to be okay with this," the brunette asked cautiously, searching those murky blue depths that had been brilliant with terror just a few minutes before.

Was she? Having him the city, in the dorms, was one thing. But the Mathews apartment was part of her world, a big part. Could she take that kind of daily interaction with him? Just because the hope had died didn't mean that those feelings had. He was the same person he had always been; kind and honest, with goodness in his bones. She needed that type of consistency in her life, now more than ever. She just didn't want to need him.

Her shoulder rose to meet her jawline as she schooled her features into a mask of indifference.

"Sure," she stated noncommittally. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Riley didn't know if she had meant that question to be rhetorical or if she wanted an answer. Had the blonde not opened the door she would have let it go. She would have had to, but the blonde had opened the door and such an opportunity might not come along again.

"I don't know," she conceded, "but if you're not, you can tell me. You can tell me anything peaches," she assured gently.

How many times had they said those words before and then chose to hold back anyway? Hadn't she said that sisters shared their secrets right before she gazed into those tortured blue eyes and lied to her face? And Maya had done the same when she had found her alone in the hallway that morning. That was their new normal. The truth was messy and complicated, but wasn't it better than more lies? They had both bay windowed one another at the same time. That was progress, wasn't it?

The blonde's thoughts were parallel in nature. They had both continued to make the wrong choice where their friendship was concerned. She had tried to carry this burden all alone and it had only driven them further apart. There was a chance the truth would only make things worse, but holding it in hadn't made them any better.

"I'm not," she admitted with a sigh. "I'm not even sure why."

As brown eyes met blue, she saw the same pain and confusion she had that day in Texas.

"Because you like him," the brunette mumbled, the words like spikes to her ears.

This was all too familiar.

Only this time the blonde didn't freeze up, allowing Riley to concoct theories and solutions in her mind. She shook her head in denial, a frown on her lips.

"No," she insisted firmly at first, "Well, maybe," she wavered before lowering her head into her hands with a groan.

Riley didn't know what to feel as her latest realization sank in. As much as she had tried to ignore the signs, a suspicion had formed and having it confirmed filled her with validation. She hadn't been crazy or desperate to dismiss her best friend's true feelings because they happened to be for the same boy.

"So you like Josh…and you like Lucas," she replied, seeking clarification.

When phrased that way, Maya couldn't help but feel selfish. It wasn't as if she had tried to develop feelings for two separate people. And she had begged Riley to take the next step with Lucas, despite how she felt.

She bolted up from her seat, her legs itching for movement.

"I don't know! I know that this is hard on you and you're just trying to make sense of me, but I don't even make sense to me!" She cried out in exasperation. "Yes, I like Josh. I've always liked Josh. That hasn't changed. It's how I feel around Lucas that's different, and you would think that liking one person would mean that you stop liking the other, but I guess not, because here I am, still liking Josh and sort of liking Lucas and not really sure what I'm doing from one second to the next."

Tears were pooling in her eyes by the end of her rant, and Riley's heart went out to her. Feelings were such stubborn and traitorous things.

Maya collapsed back on the seat next to her friend.

"Maybe you were right…things were easier when we just saw each other as friends and not boys and girls," she replied laying her head down on Riley's shoulder and smiling when the brunette reciprocated by leaning on her own.


	3. Letter to Readers-NOT RESIGNATION!

First, I want to thank all of you for every viewing, follow, favorite, comment or question that you have each contributed. I know my updating schedule has severely wavered from what I originally promised and the fact that you all remain patient with me and continue to support my literary endeavors truly means the world to me. I had every intention of updating weeks ago. I now have all three stories pretty much outlined and have over half of the next chapter of Split Screen done. Unfortunately, there have been some family matters distracting me from my writing. However, I have not forgotten my stories or my wonderful readers and am now working hard to catch up. Hopefully, you will be reading updates very soon. I apologize for the inconvenience but if you will just stick with me, I promise you it will all be worth it in the end.


	4. Every Sun Doesn't Rise

**A/N: Hello my wonderful readers! First and foremost, thank you so much for your patience with me and these stories. My sister had her surgery last week, and I'm pleased to report everything went smoothly. She has a post op check up coming up in a week or two and hopefully we will be able to put this terrifying experience behind us for good.**

 **Second, there is a trigger warning in this chapter for reference to the Columbine shooting massacre of 99.**

 **Last, but not least, thank you again so much for your continued love and support of me and these stories of mine. I know they're a larger commitment than either of us ever intended to make, but we have stuck it out together and I'm so grateful for that!**

Riley stole another glance at her friends while the waitress rattled off their order with forced enthusiasm. Occasionally one of them would look up to smile or wave in her direction- usually when they noticed she was watching. But mostly they sat hunched over their usual table, whispering intently. When they'd asked her to pick up the drinks, she'd accepted with a smile and feigned naivety, but she knew the true reason behind the request. The "Riley committee" was holding session.

"It's a no brainer guys," Maya declared, in attempt to wrap up their conversation before their subject could return. "You two have your sports," she gestured toward the Texan duo, "and you two have your smarts," she pointed toward the genius couple.

The blonde shrugged. The solution was obvious.

"She'll go with me."

Farkle and Zay were quick to relinquish any claim as caretakers. Lucas, however, wasn't nearly as willing. Given the choice, he'd prefer the sweet, idealistic brunette at his side.

"Riles likes sports," he argued defensively.

The blue-eyed beauty snorted in response.

"She likes the Knicks. That's not really the same thing," she countered.

As much as he wanted to disagree with her, she had a point. This was the same girl he'd had to teach how to use a baseball glove, after all.

Isadora Smackle had been silently observing the strange friendship ritual before her, her scientific wheels spinning.

"I don't understand, why can't Riley accompany me to the astronomy club," she asked curiously. "A sister scientist would be quite beneficial in such a new environment."

Farkle wrapped an arm around his girlfriend with an amused grin. Logically, Isadora' s argument was a sound one, but the memory of Riley's shock and horror when she'd learned the fate of Pluto was burned into his mind. Mr. Mathews was her father and had been prepared for such an outburst. But this was a new place with new teachers, who might not understand the beauty of their friend's optimistic and at times overdramatic nature.

"I'll explain later," he promised, as Riley collected her change and headed back toward them.

Maya sat quietly tapping her palm with a spoon. Her gaze flitted up to Lucas Friar's sparkling emerald orbs which were, as usual, fixed on her best friend approaching. A thin smile formed on her lips. Riley and Lucas made one another happy. As their friend, that's what she wanted. Unfortunately, there remained a traitorous fraction of her that wanted something else from him.

"So, it's settled then," she asked, taking her mango smoothie from the tray, though she now lacked the appetite for it.

"What's settled," the brunette said, looking into the faces of her friends, seeking an answer she knew she wouldn't receive. It was all part of the routine.

Everyone else turned toward the blonde. She had been the one to slip up in front of Riley, and the original founder of the committee. It was her responsibility to determine a proper reply.

Maya jabbed her straw into the thick orange liquid, avoiding her sister's probing gaze.

"I was just telling Huckleberry and Twinkle Toes here, that trying out for football is suicide and they shouldn't do it."

A knot formed in both girls' stomachs at the thought of the boys going up against some of the other students they'd witnessed walking the halls. They were bigger, stronger, and more experienced. None of which boded well for Zay or Lucas.

"Actually, Maya," Smackle interjected, "Lucas is very well built for the sport with those broad shoulders and bulging muscles," she said, running her hand along his arm in a way that made him highly self-conscious. There was only one girl he wanted touching him that way.

Farkle too, looked uncomfortable, as though he might be sick.

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence Hart," Zay muttered.

He had no disillusions of making the team, nor did he have any desire to join. But he wasn't about to let Lucas go out there by himself.

Riley finished handing out the smoothies and took her seat next to Maya.

"I didn't realize you'd decided to do that," she mumbled, her fingers tapping anxiously against her glass. She'd known he and Zay had been discussing the possibility, but a final commitment hadn't been made.

Lucas studied her expression carefully. He had known the others weren't likely to support the endeavor, but not Riley. It wasn't like her to be so passive when it came to his pursuits. She was typically the first one in his corner.

"I was thinking about it," he leaned forward, closing as much distance as the table between them would allow. "You don't think I should?"

He was looking to her for approval, for support. It wasn't that she lacked faith in him. She knew he'd accomplish anything he set his mind to. If being on the football team was something he sincerely wanted, nothing would keep him from it. Except perhaps her. One word from her and he'd abandon the idea completely.

"I think you'll be amazing," she confessed in earnest.

Lucas relaxed in his seat with a wide grin. He'd needed to hear those words from her, to know she still believed in him.

Maya shook her head, biting her tongue. All week she had been discouraging Lucas and Zay from this ridiculous ploy for attention, while Riley had remained silent on the issue. She'd hoped that her best friend might have learned something seeing Lucas fly off the back of that bull, but apparently not. Surely, she knew it was dangerous, and yet, there she was again shaking her pom-poms and cheering him on just like she had back in Texas.

She glanced up at the clock, suddenly thankful their time together that evening was up.

"Do what you want Huckleberry," she muttered snarkily as she rose and slung her bag across her shoulder. "You're going to anyway."

Instinctively, his hand reached for the back of his neck. It was Tombstone all over again.

She'd made her objections perfectly clear, as well at the stakes. He had no way of knowing whether she would honor her threat- he hoped not, but even if she had, he couldn't sit back in fear. He'd done his best to help her understand, but there was no talking to her. In her mind, being friends meant agreeing even when they were wrong, and while he valued their friendship, he had chosen to be true to himself. He wouldn't apologize for that.

Riley bolted from the table, after the angry blonde.

"Maya, wait!" She pleaded, but her sister only hastened down the sidewalk.

It would do neither of them, nor their friendship, any good for her to say what she was thinking.

The brunette lowered her face into her hands, a strangled cry burning her throat. The others would simply assume Maya was acting out, but she knew it was more than that. She was worried for Lucas. They both were. The difference was Riley had the right to feel like a concerned girlfriend. Her best friend didn't…but that didn't stop her from feeling it. She knew from experience how painful that could be.

She glanced up as she felt a warm, gentle hand on her back. Sure enough, her gaze landed on the concerned expression of her unofficial boyfriend.

"Everything okay," he asked.

Riley shook her head.

"Not really, no. That was just…" she lamented without completing her thought.

Lucas pulled her closer with a defeated sigh.

"a little too familiar," he guessed.

The last time Maya had stormed off and Riley chased after her, he'd been demoted to brother status. His stomach lurched at the memory. He knew now what had caused him to take Maya by the face that night and that there had never been anything more than friendship between them. The triangle was over, yet he felt uneasy knowing Riley was still torn between them.

He flashed a quick reassuring smile, "That's not gonna happen again Riles," he said with more certainty than he felt. She nodded in silent agreement, wrapping her arms around his waist. As badly as she wanted to believe nothing could derail them again, her twisted mind had already been taking stock of potential obstacles, and there were more than he knew.

Lucas peered down just as she glanced up, emerald eyes diving into dark chocolate. He adored everything about those eyes; the shape, the color, the way her emotions flashed through them. A chill slithered through him as he realized there was no light reflecting in them. Was there something going on behind those eyes she didn't want him seeing?

* * *

Alone on a park bench sat Riley Mathews, nose deep in her book. Though she appeared engrossed in the text, her gaze kept wandering from the page to study surrounding passersby. People watching had become a recent pastime. While friends and family zoomed around her at warp speed, she'd remained as silent and still as possible, observing their new environment. That was the one benefit to being invisible. People didn't consider her significant enough to hide from.

Her focus had fallen onto two small children weaving through the playground while their parents oversaw their activities from a safe distance. The boy and girl laughed wildly, running this way and that, chasing after each other- carefree, much like she and her friends had once been. Until somewhere along the way the playful gleam in their eyes had been replaced with vigilance. Together they kept a watchful eye on her, just as those parents, shielding her from the troubles of reality.

To them she was a child.

She leapt in her seat as a strong manly hand gripped her shoulder from behind. Her head jerked back with a sigh of relief.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." Shawn apologized, navigating his way around the bench.

He plopped down next to her, wriggling to make himself comfortable. Truthfully, the wooden bench wasn't the cause for his squirming.

"Must be some read," he gestured to the book, "May I?"

Wordlessly the item passed hands for his inspection.

"Rachel's Tears," he read aloud, examining the photograph on the cover.

There was fresh faced teenage girl in a grey t-shirt, her head was tilted to the side, brown hair falling just past her shoulders. She couldn't have been much older than the young woman sitting next to him.

Riley nodded, tucking her own hair back behind the ears.

"It's about Rachel Scott," she explained, swallowing the lump in her throat. "She and her brother were victims of Columbine."

That was a name Shawn hadn't heard or thought of in years. Columbine had been a senseless tragedy that occurred when he and Cory were young. They had just graduated from John Adams High the year before when two teenage boys hatched a devious plot for mass destruction. Thankfully, the bombs didn't detonate at full capacity, however that was little consolation to the loved ones of victims who were injured and lost that day. As a student, the thought had been scary. As the loved one of a student, it was even more so.

He tried to shake the thought away, returning the book to her hands.

"I know it's not exactly normal reading," she placed the book on her lap, neatly folding her hands over it. "But I like the idea that one person's life can make a difference. Rachel was a big believer in that. She was all about helping people and small acts of kindness..." she trailed off, gathering her thoughts. "She seemed like the kind of person that would have befriended those poor boys."

History would see them as murderers, maybe even monsters, but not Cory and Topanga's daughter. She'd inherited her parents' ability for compassion and objectivity.

"I'm sorry she never got the chance," Shawn let out a heavy breath. None of those kids had gotten the chance.

For the first time since his arrival, Riley brightened.

"She did though." Her gaze shifted to meet his. "She didn't get a long life, but she made a difference. Everything she believed in lives on through her story and her parents' work with their nonprofit organization."

Shawn nodded, "the world could always use more helpers."

There it was again, that awkward moment where he felt small and insignificant in her presence. Each time he encountered his best friend's progeny, he found himself taking stock of his life, and coming up wanting. At fourteen years old, she'd put more thought into making the world a better place than he had in his thirties. He'd contributed beautiful photographs and decent articles on faraway places to society, but was that the sum of his legacy?

He slumped further down into his seat, tapping his fingertips.

"So," he turned toward her, "I was a little surprised you called me today."

Honestly, she'd surprised herself with that one. The two were hardly what she'd consider close, but that was what made him the perfect confidant. He wouldn't shelter her from the truth or filter the facts. He trusted her ability to cope with inconvenience and disappointment in a way the others in her life didn't.

She briefly glanced up to meet his gaze, before refocusing on her hands. During her analysis of options, she'd forgotten to consider how humiliating reaching out to a practical stranger might feel.

"I was hoping you could help me with something."

Hearing her own voice nearly made her cringe. She sounded so small…weak… _childish._

Shawn watched the brunette with a sympathetic smile. Sometimes she was so much like her father that he could see the childhood version of his best friend in her place. Cory hadn't been nearly as perceptive or intimidating, but he had been insecure.

"I'll do what I can," he promised, rubbing his hands together, "What's the trouble little Cory?"

She stared at him quizzically a moment, before reaching into her bag and pulling out the pamphlet of school clubs.

"This is," she held up the booklet for his review.

He picked it up and began flipping through its pages while she sat patiently waiting, hoping he would somehow know her better than she did herself. She'd combed through the possibilities for days, but nothing jumped out at her.

Shawn shrugged, pulling out a pen. This could easily be narrowed down with a little information.

"Alright kid, what do you like, what are you good at?"

Riley leapt to her feet with a sigh. Her eyes darted over to the playground she had been watching earlier. The family was gone now, but the realization they'd inspired remained. She had never truly met the world. She'd merely been given more slack on her leash and confused it for freedom. Her mom and dad had trusted her with the journey of growing up. Her friend hadn't. They still didn't. They'd sat over there, discussing her like she wasn't even there, arguing over where she should be placed and who would handle her for the year. They wanted to protect her. She understood and loved them for that, but how could she ever make the world her own with them standing in between?

She wrapped her arms around her stomach, turning back toward the man sitting on the bench.

"There isn't anything," she confessed sadly. "I paint purple cats. I have no coordination of any kind. I wouldn't understand anything they said in robotics club and I can't really see myself being part of any group that openly bullies defenseless little planets.

The words were gushing out of her, faster than she could process.

"I'm not really a fan of yearbooks either, and no one would take me seriously in any kind of leadership role.

Her grip tightened as though she were hugging herself for comfort.

Shawn went through the pamphlet marking out the clubs her rant had eliminated. A sparkle in his eye as one caught his attention.

"What about drama," he suggested, rotating his pen around his fingers. "You've sure got Cory's flare for that.

Her head tilted in thought.

"I'm not as good as you'd think I'd be." A momentary smile graced her lips as she thought back to Lucas's first year in New York. "The last play I was in was seventh grade and it didn't go so well."

Drama too was crossed off the list.

She slumped back onto the bench. For a split second, she wished she had gone to her mother or father instead. Shawn was doing his best to be helpful, but right now she could use a hug and she wasn't about to ask him for one.

"Why can't I just like something _and_ be good at it? Her hands flew into the air as she suddenly erupted. "The only thing I'm any good at is being a friend, and it's not like there's a club for that."

Her fingers landed on the book she'd left sitting on the bench between them. She clutched it tightly, bringing it back into her lap, back to the position she was most comfortable.

Shawn nodded, closing the pamphlet with a hmm sound. He leaned forward, perching his arms on his knees. He may not know much about teenage girls, and certainly not much about this particular one, but she radiated an urgency to the task that he hadn't been able to grasp until her last outburst.

"Riley…why is this so important to you?"

The brunette reached up to tuck her hair behind her ears again. It was silly, she knew, to make such a big deal over such a tiny matter. At least that's how everyone else saw it. She knew better. That was the downside of being observant. She noticed details others missed.

Maya was a magnet. Each time the blonde entered a room heads automatically turned in her direction. She was beautiful, which got people's attention. And she was bold; her words, her ideas, the way she carried herself, was every bit as captivating as her appearance. Her verbal dual with Cassandra Moore had already become legend in the halls of Abigail Adams, earning her even more favor and fame.

Lucas was superman and Clark Kent all rolled into one; the every man and the superhero. What he considered his greatest flaw also made him wildly successful in the art of fitting in. His perfectly chiseled jaw and athletic build drew the socially elite to him like flypaper, while his goodness allowed him to befriend anyone of his choosing…even the invisibles.

Zay was more of an acquired taste for some. But he was funny, good at sports, and always made his presence known. People still didn't listen to him much, but they were content to laugh and would gladly cheer him on if he made the team with Lucas.

Farkle and Smackle weren't as big a hit with the popular crowd, but they had their own society of like-minded individuals. The tribe of intelligence had been more than happy to welcome the two geniuses to the fold.

"Because…" Her thumb tapped against the glossy book cover. "I don't fit anywhere. I'm awkward and clumsy and only funny when I'm not trying to be."

They assumed she was too childlike to notice, but she knew. And worse, she knew that they did too.

The older man dropped his head, blowing out slowly. He should have known. Not only had she inherited her father's disproportionate response system, it seemed she'd also received his desperate desire to be something he wasn't.

He slung his arm on the back of the bench, shifting in his seat until he was facing her directly.

"I'm gonna let you in on a little secret, something most people don't learn until after high school. No one, and I mean no one, fits anywhere. Even the people that look like they do, don't, because none of us are just one thing. You might be all the things you said, but that's not all you are, Riley. And if you feel like there isn't a place for you, then make your own. You're a good friend, a helper."

He gestured toward the paperback in her hands.

"The world needs more of you. Not less."

Shawn hadn't needed a second version of himself. He'd needed an uncool, overreactive, great friend to have his back. He needed Cory Mathews, and was a better person because he'd had one.

He was likening her to Rachel Scott? That seemed a bit of a stretch. Rachel had been a martyr. She wouldn't have cared whether or not the kids in her school liked her, not as long as she was true to her beliefs. She'd believed in them so much she'd been willing to die for them. She'd felt she was going to die young and was at peace with that because she felt her death would inspire others after she was gone. And she was right. It had.

Riley wasn't sure she possessed that kind of faith or bravery, but she did share some of Rachel's beliefs. She did want to help make the world a better place, to help connect people though acceptance and goodwill.

She peered up at him, her brown eyes lit with unspeakable hopefulness.

"You really think I could make a difference," she asked.

It was a great plan in theory, but she was inferior, even in her own circle of friends. Would the school listen to her, and even if they did, would others join? Were there really others like her, looking for somewhere to feel relevant?

He smiled back at the young girl who had altered the course of his life.

"I know you can." He chuckled.

* * *

Isadora watched curiously as her boyfriend began to shift nervously in his seat. He was working up the nerve to say something to Maya Hart. From her understanding of his explanation, the blonde fancied herself the head of the committee and an expert in all things Riley Mathews. It was also her understanding that Maya did not appreciate any form of challenge in this particular field of interest. Which was exactly how she would interpret Farkle's proposal, should he ever summon the courage to speak.

Her gaze shifted across the table to his opposition. What was it about Maya Hart that threatened him so? She was just a little above five feet, no more than one hundred pounds soaking wet, and a female. As science dictated, Farkle was taller, stronger, and infinitely quicker when it came to intelligent thought. He was her superior in every way, and yet he treated her as though she were an equal while she behaved as though he were beneath her.

Why he would subject himself to that treatment, she didn't understand. She supposed it was because they were friends. They did gather in the same social circle, were part of the same committee. She supposed that meant she and the hostile blonde were friends as well. Though she didn't understand the girl, she liked her well enough, and could use the few allies she had in such a confounding and unwelcoming place.

"I move to revisit the matter of Riley and school clubs," he said at last.

Smackle wasn't surprised by this motion. In fact, she was partially the cause for it. Farkle had taken her aside and offered up his best explanation for the purpose and function of The Riley Committee, but in the end his reasoning had left her with more questions than answers. She understood the nobility of their intent to protect their friend. However, from a scientific standpoint it seemed an exercise in futility, and psychologically, a disservice to the brunette.

Maya didn't even look up to acknowledge the request as she examined the contents of her tray with her fork.

"But we already decided she'd go with me." Her tone was a strong indication that the matter was closed, but Farkle pressed further.

"No, you decided. I think that Riley should be able to choose her own club."

The genius swallowed thickly as Maya finally met his gaze. Blue flames raged in her azure orbs. She did not appreciate the challenge.

Maya's glance slid from Farkle to her, shifting the blame from one to the other. She might be small and of average intelligence, but she wasn't stupid. She knew Farkle was only raising the concerns Smackle herself had brought to his attention.

Her lids fluttered down with a sigh. Isadora assumed she was attempting to reign in her emotions. Zay and Lucas sat dumbfounded, watching in silence.

A tight-lipped smile formed on her lips as her eyes opened. Though she was straining to hold the pleasant expression.

"You know why we can't do that, Farkle. Riley would just think and think about it until she was too scared to make a move. You know that I'm right."

The way he slumped back in his chair lead Isadora to believe she spoke truthfully to their friend in common's nature.

Maya twirled her fork in the mashed potatoes she had no intention of eating.

"Besides, she'd just end up following me anyway." For the first time, she looked around the room, noting what or rather who was missing. Her eyes went round as she surveyed the room. Panic bubbled up inside the blonde as she realized Riley wasn't there. Perhaps if they'd spent less time arguing about her allowances, they'd have recognized her absence sooner.

She was beginning to see why Maya considered herself the dominant party of the committee. Because there was truth to it. The others had yet to make the connection. They didn't have to. They sensed her concern, they noted her eyes darting about the room, and then they mimicked her behavior.

"What are we looking for," Zay mumbled, scanning the lunch line for...whatever their fearless leader was seeking.

Lucas shrugged as he continued to search.

"I'm looking for Riley. I don't know what you're looking for."

Isadora's lips quirked into the wisp of a smile. It seemed she underestimated Lucas once again, and for a reason she didn't understand it made her happy that he hadn't lived up to her expectation of him.

The blonde huffed, throwing down her plastic cutlery.

"That's exactly what I'm looking for. She should have been here by now. Where is she," she snapped impatiently.

From what the female genius could gather, Maya often allowed her emotions to override her reason. Had she taken the time to step back and think objectively, she would have realized there were several perfectly logical scenarios explaining their friend's disappearance and very few were cause for this level of emotional upheaval.

"Perhaps she is running behind," Smackle offered, awkwardly reaching across the table to pat the other girl's hand.

She must have been doing it wrong because Maya was not only not consoled. She was downright hostile- another symptom of her illogical tendencies, no doubt.

"Where else would she go," the blonde growled, throwing her hands in the air. "

This was the only time they all got to spend together during school hours.

Lucas was no longer scanning the area. His shiny green orbs were now fixed on the brunette in question, his smile widening as she neared. He didn't know where she had been or why, nor did he seem to care, now that she was present. Everything about the Texan seemed more at ease when she was close by. The same could be said for the girl walking toward them. She knew there had been some debate in regards to their relationship, and though she was familiar with the practice of arguing both sides of a given issue, she couldn't wrap her mind around the objections to their romantic involvement. The two complimented one another well and appeared to be much happier with their current arrangement than they had been apart. Even an ordinary dumb-dumb should be able to see that.

"Why don't ya just ask her," Zay suggested, pointing back behind the blonde.

Riley clutched her notebook tighter to her chest, forcing a smile. She did that often, though not as much as she had the year before.

"Ask me what?"

Her features wrinkled in a mask of confusion as she pulled out the chair next to her with one hand and lowered herself into it. The other arm was still grasping the notebook.

Maya's gaze sharpened as she studied their tardy friend. Her expression was puzzling to Isadora. She just sat there, staring, her head cocked slightly to the side. Again, the others followed the lead the blonde had set, a hush falling over the table. After what felt like several minutes of uncomfortable silence, someone finally spoke.

"Well if they won't say it, I will. Where the heck were you? You about gave these two a panic attack." Zay gestured to Lucas and Maya.

Riley blanched at the reprimand, laying her notebook gently on the table top. It reminded Smackle of a knight lowering his shield and she wondered if that was how her friend might feel- like an open target. Did she know they had been sitting there discussing her, making decisions on her behalf? They believed her ignorant of the committee's conduct, but Smackle wasn't convinced. How could she stand two feet away as they whispered conspiratorially and not wonder what secrets they exchanged?

"I'm sorry," she said, locking a strand of hair behind her ear. She did that a lot too. "I was having a meeting with the principal. I didn't mean to scare anyone."

Maya's blue eyes grew in diameter as her mouth fell agape.

"Riley Mathews got sent to the principal's office!"

She often felt the blonde overreacted to typical situations. However, in this case, the information did sound a bit unbelievable.

The brunette shook her head, an amused giggle bubbling from her lips.

"I asked for the meeting, peaches."

When she laid her hand over Maya's, she didn't pull away or roll her eyes and bark. Riley had a lot of experience comforting others. Her delicate touch had even managed to work its magic on the raven-haired beauty on occasion.

"I couldn't find a club that felt like the right place for me, so I asked Principal Childress about forming my own."

This was exactly why she questioned Riley's awareness of the group's protective forces. She was intelligent, inquisitive. Since she had met the brunette, her friend had been dedicated to the practice of problem solving.

Dark brows creased over deep blue eyes.

"Can you even do that," she asked.

She didn't seem to appreciate Riley changing the rules any more than she had Farkle questioning her judgement.

Riley nodded, beaming with...pride? Excitement? Maybe both? She looked pleased, whatever the cause.

"Turns out you can." She plucked a book from her bag, placing it down on top of the notebook. "It's called the Friends of Rachel club. It's all about helping people and making the world a better place."

It sounded like the perfect place for Riley.

This time it was Lucas who reached out to touch her hand. Her news had only enhanced his easy demeanor since her approach.

"That's great, Riles," he exclaimed, his gaze falling on the hand he was holding. Why that appendage captured his attention so fully she couldn't say, but she was happy for her friend who clearly enjoyed his focus on any part of her. She imagined Farkle gazing longingly at her hand in such a way and it filled her belly with sweet flutterings that made it difficult to hold back a smile. She didn't know what it meant but she knew it was pleasant.

The blonde's gaze had fallen on the two hands clasped across the table. Her thoughts were much less clear to the female genius, her feelings even more so as she had no frame of reference. But as her mouth curled into that thin, tight smile, those butterflies were replaced with something cold and slithery. It was a smile of warning.

 **Follow-up: Yes, Friends of Rachel is a real thing and I'm very proud to say my former high school is one of those branches. It's a great non-profit, non-religious organization and it seemed like a cause that would speak to our girl Riley.**

 **For those saying the triangle is losing its thrill, I agree. Good thing this was never about the triangle. There are much grander schemes at play. ;)**


	5. I'm Still Here!

Hello readers!

I looked at my stats today and realized it's been months since I've updated my stories. How did time get away from me so badly?! Now I am back in school, which makes updating even more difficult, but fret not! I am still working on these stories in between homework assignments and will be updating during fall break! Meaning I will be posting multiple chapters at once. I know it's been a long road and the fandom is dying. The show is gone and eventually we will all be moving on. However, I will not be doing so until I have finished what I've started with these three stories and I sincerely hope you will see it through to the end with me.

Please everyone stay safe, be kind, and happy reading!

Your friendly neighborhood galpalcj!


End file.
